Praise for SHEERWATER…
“Both a tale as old as time and a believable depiction of the most common crime of our age, Sheerwater is a powerful read of how easily love turns to hate, protection turns to obsession, and how it’s the invisible battles that can be the most devastating. Emotional, powerful, unforgettable. From a stunning new literary talent, you won't be able to put down this novel about a mother's love for her children - it will break your heart.”
Davitt Award Judges
“With a tense narrative arc that unfolds over just three days, speeding towards a dramatic conclusion .... Sheerwater is a propulsive read with an acute emotional core ...' Bookseller + Publisher
“ Sheerwater is that rare gift of a book that balances gorgeous, glittering language with breathless pace. Leah Swann writes with devastating honesty ... This is an extraordinary novel - I tore through it, captivated by the imagery and the setting, desperately hoping for a happy ending.” Rebecca Starford
'Sheerwater is a haunting story built on conflict. Freedom and control, tenderness and violence, hope and fear, love and hate. It shows the strength of a mother's love and the yearning for something more ... This novel is full of beautifully gripping prose and deeply powerful emotions told through sublime pacing. I found it triggered a peculiar mix of wanting to dwell in the darkly emotive prose while needing to urgently push through it to find resolution. It will be one of those books that lingers in your mind, the memory of which may even be mistaken for a story read in the news.' Booktopia
'Sheerwater is compelling reading ... There is an urgency in the writing that makes you read on because you must know what the conclusion is - no matter which way it goes ... This is an extraordinary literary debut; the writing is beautifully evocative and the intertwining narratives of the main characters seamless. It's tender, it's suspenseful and you'll be wanting to see so much more from Leah Swann - I ignored everything for a day to rip through the pages and loved every minute of it.' Better Reading
“Max’s scenes are heartbreakingly convincing, as a young child realizes perhaps for the first time that adults don’t always tell the truth or have the best interests of children at heart. Decisions meant to be firmly in the hands of experienced grownups sometimes become the responsibility of little people not equipped to deal with them.
Sheerwater is peppered also with secondary characters of small towns that live and die having experienced such things as loss, drug abuse, racial divides and the endemic scourge of Australian society that is the domestic terrorism of its women and children.
The arc of the narrative develops smoothly from the first page to the last with no lags, propelling forwards quickly, with flashbacks to fill in the gaps wherever needed. The book shows obsessive behaviours, self-deception and delusion in an illuminating way. Stories are twisted, lies are absorbed, and attempts at manipulation pile up.” Sydney Morning Herald
“Every sentence, every paragraph, every scene is charged with urgency. Sheerwater is a visceral experience. We are never released from almost unbearable dramatic tension. It hits hard — it is impactful, truly harrowing, and ultimately haunting — because the origin of evil that lurks within these pages is the human kind. It’s man.”
Simon McDonald
“Sheerwater is an emotionally charged work of both hope and despair, beginnings and endings. Calling this book a thriller won’t be doing it a disservice, but it may give the expectation to the reader that they are about to dive into a work of suspense with no lingering take-homes to mull over. Sheerwater is a nuanced novel that illustrates how dangerously the pendulum swings when one person in a relationship decides that enough is enough…” The Blurb
